Dan's Addiction
by Janet Martini de La Ley
Summary: Something appears to have sent Dan on a downward spiral, but was he already that way?
1. Part 1

_Author's Note: I do not own the Night Court characters, and they are all probably OC_

**Dan's Addiction- Part 1**

Dan Fielding was only late for work for one reason: a rendezvous with a woman. Judge Harold T. Stone knew that Dan could not help it, that Dan had a 24/7 need for sex it seemed. Dan is usually detained in the courthouse somewhere, so that night Harry asked Dan's lackey, Phil, search in his usual "hiding" spots. After thirty minutes, Phil barged in the Harry's courtroom, a look of worry on his face.

"I looked everywhere," Phil told the judge. "He is not in the building." Then Harry shared the same concern as Phil.

"It's not like him to be this late. I hope nothing happened to him."

"Sorry I'm late." Just then, the tall, handsome Assistant District Attorney stumbled through the doors, almost tripping over himself, his dark suit muffled.

"Approach the bench," Harry ordered. The judge could see that Dan struggled to walk in a straight line. As the DA stood before him, Harry could smell alcohol on his breath, not the usual stench of cologne that signified he had scored with a woman. "Have you been drinking, Dan?"

"Not more than usual, sir." Dan's eyes were red and swollen, indicating he had been crying or did not get enough sleep, or both.

"Court will begin in an hour," Harry called to the court. "Dan, meet me in my office right away." Without saying a word, Dan headed towards the judge's chambers. Before Harry set foot out of the courtroom, Christine grabbed him by the elbow.

"Usually I am not concerned about Dan," Christine told the judge, "but right now is the worse I have seen him. Please find out what's wrong and help him."

"I will," Harry reassured her. Right before Harry entered his office Bull the bailiff came out. "What were you doing in there?"

"Dan passed out in the hallway, sir. I had to carry him here. I think he's drunk." Bull had the same look on his face as Phil, despite it being slightly confused as he always appeared.

"Don't worry Bull, I'll get to the bottom of this. Dan will be fine, and tell Mac that we need to find a replacement for Dan."

"Ok." Bull gave the judge a slight smile and left.

When Harry entered his office he stared at the man knocked out on his couch; he looked peaceful, carefree, not as he looked going into his courtroom that night. Harry knelt down next to the man and shook him gently, at first. When it appeared that Dan was a heavy sleeper, Harry grabbed Dan's biceps and agitated him awake. A startled Dan sat up and put his head in his hands. Harry moved next to Dan on the couch and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dan, you know you can confide in me if there is anything going on in your personal life," Harry started, "especially when it is affecting work, like right now."

"It's… it's just difficult for me to talk about this, Harry," Dan replied. "I don't want anyone else to know. My… my parents died."

"I'm sorry to hear that." With a little tear streaming down his cheek, Harry looked at his colleague, hoping to see his face, but Dan kept it buried. "That doesn't mean you should drink to drown your pain."

"You… you and everyone may think that all I think about is sex, but there is something else I need to function… alcohol." Harry let go of Dan's shoulder, and Dan came out of hiding but did not look the judge in the eye. "I drink before I sleep, before work, during breaks I spike my coffee or drink from a flask I have hidden in my briefcase, and when I'm not working I get drunk. When I have sex with women at my apartment I am hammered, when I fool around here I am a little buzzed, but I know when to stop, so I can do my job. That's why I am always broke; my addiction takes away all my extra money."

"I can't believe this!" Harry stood up and paced the room. "How long have you been… been an alcoholic?"

"I drank socially as an undergrad and in law school, but I did not become an alcoholic until after I bombed the bar exam the first time. I drank so I would not have to think about being a failure. When I passed the next time, I went out and drank to celebrate. I know I use alcohol to cope… use it as a crutch. I am sorry… sorry you had to see me like this. When I got the news that my parents passed away I went to the bottle for comfort, not caring if I had to come to work. I know I did not like them because they were hicks from a small town… but they were still my parents… the ones that gave me life. I wanted to get away from them, and I succeeded… but I still loved them."

Dan reached in his pocket and took out a flask, taking a long swig from it. Then he hugged himself, crying softly. As much as Harry disapproved of Dan's behavior, he sat next to the Dan and put his arms around him. Dan buried his head in Harry's shoulder, and Harry squeezed a little tighter.

"You can't go on like this Dan. I know it will take awhile for you to get over the death of your parents, but you cannot continue this addiction. I will help you get the help you need. I will find you a counselor, and find out where AA meets…"

"No, don't." Dan pulled away from the judge and put space between them. "This is my problem… mine alone to fix. I have had this addiction for years, and I can get back into the grove of things once this storm passes over. …Now, let's get to work."

"I already got a replacement for you tonight, and I want you to take the week off so you can deal with your situation. I know you will probably be drinking, but try to think of how your addiction has affected your relationship with women you cared about, more than just for sex. I know you are good at your job, but think how better your brain will function without the sting of alcohol. Think how this affects our relationship." Dan gave Harry a puzzled look. "I'll always be your friend, but I will not look at you the same, now that I know your secret. I know you are better than that." With that, Judge Stone composed himself and started walking out the door. "Good night Dan. If you decide to get help, call me."

When the door shut, Dan reached for his flask again and stared at it for a long time, tears streaming down onto it. When he finally took a drink, he heard someone enter the room. Roz stormed across the room and slapped Dan hard, leaving a red handprint on his cheek.

"What was that for," Dan exclaimed.

"I heard what you told the judge," she said with a stern face. Roz hardly showed emotion, but she was concerned for her fallen colleague. "I thought I could slap you out of it… I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

"Thanks." Dan stood up and fixed himself. "I better get going then."

"You hid it so well. I would have never guessed you were an alcoholic." The two stood in the judge's office staring at each other for a moment, and then Roz approached Dan, finally giving him a slight hug. "I hope you take Harry's advice, because I don't think I can see you in the same light again either." Dan hugged her back.

"Thanks for your concern. I have a week off to compose myself, and I will think about what he and you said." Roz gave Dan a peck where she slapped him, grabbed the flask from his hand, and left him standing there, dazed.

"I need a drink," Dan said aloud, and then hit himself on the head. "I need to get a grip."…


	2. Part 2

**Dan's Addiction- Part 2**

When Judge Harold T. Stone entered his messy apartment, he literally threw himself on his bed, without changing clothes or taking off his shoes. "What a night," he said aloud to himself. "I am so glad it's the weekend." At that moment, the phone on his nightstand began to ring. "What now!" Harry mustered the strength to sit up and grabbed the receiver. "Hello… Oh my God, what happened… Ok, I'm on my way."

"Which room is Dan Fielding in? Two-fourteen, thanks…" Harry was at the same hospital where Dan had his operation, where he had hoped never to visit again. Before entering room 214, he stopped, took a deep breath, and then opened the door slowly. "Dan…"

"I'm here, alone." Harry opened the door to find Dan's right arm in a cast, and his neck in a brace.

"How are you feeling Dan?"

"Like I got hit by a truck." Harry sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed and faced Dan, but Dan did not look him in the eye.

"I think I have an idea of what happened, but I would like to hear you tell me."

"Last night… I could not get my parents out of my mind, so I went to a bar. When it closed I chose to drive home drunk, and I hit a light pole. I really am glad that the bystanders were able to get out of the way."

"It's a _miracle_ no one else was hurt. Dan I… I don't know what to say. I had hoped you would have called me by now to tell me you were ready to get help, not to find you in the hospital."

"It would be ironic to say I'm ready to get help now, wouldn't it?" Dan looked up to see a less-than-amused Harry. "In all seriousness, I have thought about what you said all week. Roz even talked to me after you left that night, she had heard the whole conversation. She wants me to get help too, but I still can't help but rationalize that my addiction is mine alone to bear."

"Dan Fielding, you must be the most stubborn person I know, but I know any addiction, like a bad habit, is hard to break, especially cold turkey."

"All I think about is drinking. If I go a few hours without a drink, my body begins to shiver."

"That's the first step on the road to recovery: detox. It's not just for drug addicts, you need to detox in order for your body to get out of the habit of needing alcohol."

"I also looked into some rehab programs, but I don't have insurance and it's too expensive."

"I, and Roz if she's up to it, can help you through this. It's obvious that you are not going to be able to work for a few more weeks, so we can try to get you started on the road to recovery."

"I would like that, Harry, because as much as I want to do this alone, I don't think I can."

The day Dan Fielding was released from the hospital Judge Stone drove him to his apartment. Harry opened the door for his friend, and Dan immediately positioned himself on the couch, lying with his casted arm on top of him.

"How're you feeling Dan?"

"I'm ok, still shaking with alcohol withdrawals."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't been able to come by and empty out your liquor, I need to know where everything is."

"There's some in the fridge and my liquor cabinet is in my bedroom."

"Ok Dan…" Harry started rummaging through the refrigerator. "I have to leave at six and Roz will be here around seven."

"I don't need someone here twenty-four seven, I'm sure I can fend for myself most of the time."

"Until you get over your addiction someone should be here helping you." Dan closed his eyes and took a long sigh.

"I wish… I wish I Christine could come."

"No one else knows about this, and you know how she feels about you."

"Yeah…"

Later that night Roz entered Dan's dark, quite apartment. She turned on the lights to find emptiness.

"Dan," she called. There was no response, so she began searching the apartment. The last place she looked was his bedroom, and that is where she found him, on the edge of his bed about to fall. She rolled him over and found a whiskey bottle underneath him. Normally Roz was a strong person, not letting her emotions get the best of her, but she began to sob at the sight of the bottle. Dan groaned and managed to open his eyes.

"Roz... you're here."

"How could you, Dan?"

"What…"

"How could you drink again? You were doing so good in the hospital, and then you come home and throw all the hard work down the toilet."

"I… couldn't help myself. I… I was thinking about Christine. Why… why doesn't she love me?" Dan began bawling then reached under his pillow and took out another whiskey bottle. Roz snatched it out of his hand and dumped the alcohol into the bathroom sink. She returned see a man she admired in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks. Roz lay down beside Dan and held him. He clung to her like a baby. "I'm… I'm glad you're here," he muttered. "I don't… don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone sugar, you have your friends here beside you." Dan continued to sob, and she rubbed his back.

"I'm 40… and single… I'll never find my significant other."

"I know one day you will, when you least expect it."

"Can… can I have a Vicodin?"

"I don't think so, you're drunk. Sleep the pain and the alcohol off, and if you are still feeling pain _in your arm_, then I will give you some."

"Ok… don't leave me."

The next day Harry found Dan asleep in Roz's arms. She got up and told the judge what had happened that night, and they scoured the apartment to find any hidden alcohol. They found Jack Daniel's under his mattress, tequila in a stash under the rug in his living room, and vodka behind a painting in his living room.

"I hope that's it," Harry proclaimed. "Now let's get him up, he and I have to be at AA in two hours."

"My name is Dan… and I'm an alcoholic."

A month later Dan returned to Judge Stone's courtroom, arm still in a cast. Throughout the night, Dan was his usual, sarcastic self, and he and Christine carried on their usual witty banter. When court adjourned, Dan and Roz gathered around Harry, out of earshot of the others.

"Have good news for us, Dan," Harry asked quietly.

"Thirty days sober," Dan smiled.

"I knew you could do it," Roz chimed in, keeping a stern face. "Keep up the good work."

"Did you go to the doctor yesterday," Harry asked.

"Yeah, he said the cast will come off in a week, and then I'll have to wear a brace for a few more weeks. I'm not in so much pain anymore, so I am completely drug free."

"If you continue with AA I know you can be off alcohol for good in no time," Roz said. "Are we still having dinner?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you guys at Harry's place in an hour." Before Dan left the courtroom, Christine stopped him.

"I'm glad you are doing better Dan."

"Thanks."

"You seem different."

"How?"

"I can't put my finger on it, which is unusual. You just seem… happy."

"Despite this inconvenience, I feel better than I have in my entire life."

"That's good. You have a date tonight?"

"Just with some friends."

"Ok, well, I'll see you tomorrow." Christine pecked Dan on the cheek and then left him standing there, perplexed.

"I don't know what that meant," Dan said to himself, "but whatever happens happens, and having a clear mind helps a lot."

_**Fin**_


End file.
